Owner Of Ladle Of Love In Mount Kisco Gets Chappaqua Train Station Lease

Ladle of Love owner Leslie Lampert at the May 20 New Castle Town Board work session.Photo Credit: Tom AuchterlonieThe Chappaqua train station, pictured, will be the home of Love at 10514.Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie

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CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- Leslie Lampert, the owner of Mount Kisco's Ladle of Love and Cafe of Love eateries, will open her third brick and mortar place in the Chappaqua train station following the New Castle Town Board's Tuesday approval of the lease with her new venture's company.

The new venture is called Love at 10514, a reference to Chappaqua's zip code. The agreement is for 10 years and includes a five-year renewal option, Supervisor Rob Greenstein said, with the starting monthly rent at $3,300.

The restaurant, Greenstein noted in his
statement
, will be a “family-style bistro” and include soups, stews, paninis, salads and wraps. Speaking with local reporters after the approval, Lampert gave some additional details, including availability of flowers and use of the old ticket booth as a seasonal bar to serve goods such as hot chocolate, waffles and gelato.

The Town Board also approved a detail that will allow for Lampert to take over the coffee concession space in the train station. Talking with local media, she hopes to open in the concession place by early July and for the restruant opening to be soon after.

“I'm honored, I really am,” Lampert said at the board meeting. She also gave a contrast between her eateries.

“This is not Ladle of Love,” she said, although she noted the inspiration from it.

Love at 10514 will be open seven days a week, Lampert, a former Chappaqua resident who now lives in White Plains, told reporters. On weekdays it will be from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; on Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Sundays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The selection of Lampert's venture is the latest event for a topic with a long history. Carla Gambescia, owner of Mount Kisco's Via Vanti!, was previously given support from the town for being the tenant for her proposed restaurant, according to reports from Daily Voice and others. However, a falling out emerged earlier this year as she raised the possibility of restricting bathroom usage, which was contrary to an request for proposals (RFP) issued by the town, according to
a March 11 Town Board meeting video
and media reports. She mentioned at the meeting a conversation she had with Councilman Adam Brodsky and talked about limiting access during dinner time. There were two RFP documents released during the course of the process.

Gambescia, in the March 11 meeting video, was unaware of the requirement to keep bathroom space open to the public, noting that she had not seen the RFP. At the meeting, Gambescia, who now knew about the requirement, expressed a willingness to abide by it.

Lampert, speaking after the approval, wished Gambescia “all the luck in the world” and hoped that she finds another space in Chappaqua.

Councilman Jason Chapin was the only board member to vote against, giving his preference for Gambescia. Chapin noted his previous support for her and said that it was the “best proposal.”

In response to the decision, Gambescia released the following statement: "Now that the current New Castle Town Board has make a decision about the train station lease, and in the interest of full transparency, I am releasing the written response by Via Vanti! to the Town's late March RFP (request for proposal). As was evidently the case for the proposal submitted by Erin and Peter Chase, Via Vanti! was never contacted by anyone with the Town with follow-up questions or requests in the ensuing seven-plus weeks."

Additionally, Gambescia has made public details of her proposal for the space in response to the March RFP,
including a link to it.

Greenstein, in his statement, noted that there were four proposals. One of the fellow applicants for the space, Peter and Erin Chase, expressed criticism of the process
in a recent letter to New Castle NOW.

Video of Lampert's presentation of her proposal, which was at the Town Board's March 18 work session, is
available here.